Ventilated shoe



July 25, 1944. w. P. SHAKS VENTILATED SHOE Filed July 13, 1943 m m M m lNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented JulyZS, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I wuusi: T313231; N. 1.. Application July .13, 13:; :21) No. 494,461

4 Claims.

My invention relates to ventilated shoes and has particular reference to shoes provided with pumps for blowing air through the inner portions of the shoe.

My invention has for its object to provide a shoe with a pump so that air is pumped or circulated through the spaces between the inside of the shoe and the wearer's foot with every step when shoe is in use. The shoe and the stocking are thereby maintained dry from perspiration, prolonging the life of the shoe as well as of the stockings and adding to the wearers comfort.

I am aware that ventilated shoes with pumps have been used prior to my invention, but all such shoes had pumps inside the shoe, to be operated by the movement of the wearers foot relatively to the shoe. Such devices proved to be impracticable since themovement of the foot in the shoe rapidly causes chafing of the foot, wear of the stockings, and uncomfortable feeling when the foot moves in the shoe. In my device I place the pump on the outside of the shoe in a flexible casing in front of the heel, the casing normally extending below the heel so that the air is pumped not by the relative movement of the foot but by the normal walking action of the foot. Moreover, the resilient casing increases resiliency of the steps, materially facilitating the walking action, being in this respect even superior to rubber heels.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specification and drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevated view of the shoe partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a shoe when placed on a hard surface;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the shoe;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the shoe taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

My ventilated shoe consists of a housing i made of leather, rubberized fabric, or similar flexible material. The housing is open at the top and has a flange 2 attached to the'outer side of a sole 3 of a shoe 4. The outer side of the housing has a flexible cover plate 5 made of a wear resisting material such as leather, rubber etc. The plate is attached to the housing by rivets I and, when worn out can be replaced with another cover, The housing extends below a heel 6 of the shoe so that it touches the ground first, before any other portion of the shoe and, therefore, is caused to collapse by the pressure of the shoe against the pavement. This collapsing action is utilized to operate a pump in the housing. The pump consists of a collapsible tubular casing 1,

similar material in preferably made of leather, rubberized fabric or the form of bellows. The walls of the casing may be corrugated or of the accordion type to facilitate collapsing movement of the casing. The walls are attached to a bot-' tom plate I atone end to a top plate 9 at the outer end. A helical spring in is placed inside the casing for maintaining the latter in an extended position as shown in Fig. 1. An intake valve II is supported at the inner side of the bottom plate 8 and is connected to an intake pipe I! extending to the top of the shoe.

An exhaust valve I3 is supported in a valve cage It at the plate 8 and is connectedto exhaust or ventilating pipes I 5, l6, extending along the upper side of the sole of the shoe and having ventilating openings II.

The spring ll urges the housing outward and is compressed to the level of the sole when the shoe is placed on the pavement as shown in Fig. 2. The compressing action of the shoe causes the pump to expel the air from the casing 1 into the inner portion of the shoe around the wearers foot through the exhaust pipes 15, I 6 and openings l1. When the shoe is raised from the pavement, the spring I 0 moves the cover 5 outward, causes the outside air to be drawn into the pump casing 1 through the intake valve H.

My ventilating attachment has an advantage in that its action depends entirely on the pressure of the shoe on the pavement, the shoe being of an ordinary shape inside so that the foot does not move in relation to the shoe. The resiliency of the spring I softens the pressure of the foot, acting as a cushion and making walking easier.

It is understod that my ventilated shoes may be pended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A self-ventilating shoe comprising an air pump; means to support the air pump on the I outside of the shoe sole at the shank portion in 2. A self-ventilating shoe comprising an enclosure made of a flexible material fastened to the lower outer side of the shoe between the heel and the front r-tion of the sole, the lower portion of the enclosure extending substantially below the heel and the sole; a pump in the enclosure; means to admit air into the pump; means to exhaust the air from the pump into the inner portions or the shoe; and a spring in the enclosure for returning the pump to its outward position thereby-causing the pump to draw the air through the air admitting means, the enclosure being adapted to collapse thereby operating the pump when the shoe is placed on a supporting. surface.

3. A self-ventilating shoe comprising an enclosure made of a flexible material fastened to the lower outer side of the shoe between the heel and the front portion or the sole, the lower portion or the enclosure extending substantially be-. low the heel and the sole and adapted to be depressed by the shoe being placed on a supporting surface; a pump in form of bellows supported in the enclosure adapted to be caused partly to collapse by the collapse or the enclosure; valved 2 resisting material.

means to admit air into the bellows; and valved means to exhaust the air from the bellows into the inner portions or the shoe.

4. A self-ventilating shoe comprising an enclosure made of a flexible material fastened to the lower outer side of the shoe between the heel and the front portion of the sole, the lower portion of the enclosure extending substantially below the heel and the sole; a pump in the enclosure; means to admit air into the pump; means to exhaust the air from the pump into the inner portions or the shoe; a spring in' the enclosure for returning the pump to its outward position thereby causing the pump to draw the air through the air admitting means, the enclosure being adapted to collapse-thereby operating the pump when the shoe is placed'ona supporting surface; and a cover attached to the lower outer surface of the enclosure, the cover being made of a flexible wear- WILLIAM P. SHAKE. 

